Book-rest for writing desks and tables



@NITED STATES.

REUBEN WV. 'TERRILL,

0F DENTON, TEXAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,464, dated October 3, 1882.

(Model) .To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REUBEN W. TERRILL, of Denton, in the county of Denton and State of Texas, have invented certain useful Improvements in Book-Rests for Writing Desks and Tables, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of myimprovement, the leaves or book-platforms being removed. Fig.2is a longitudinal section of theimprovement taken through the line as as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section of a part of the same taken through the line 3 y, Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to support record-books upon desks or tables in such positions that they can be conveniently used.

The invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described.

A represents the frame of the book-rest, which can be slid in beneath the desk or table top, or can be stationary, according as it is to be placed in a side or front position.

B B are two screws, which pass in through the end bar of the frame A, and their forward ends are swiveled to supports G, attached to a block, D, secured to the bottom E or the end of the frame A. The swiveled screws B pass through nuts F, formed upon or attached to the outer ends of the bars G, the inner ends of which slide upon a bar, H, attached to the frame A or bottom E. The inner ends of the sliding bars G are pivoted to the short arms of two levers, l, which are pivoted to the bar H, or ,to supports J, attached to the said bar H.

To the long arms of the levers I are pivoted the innerends of the connecting-rods K,which extend in opposite directions, and the outer ends of which are pivoted to the middle parts of the cross-bars L.

To each end of each cross-bar L, or to a bar, M, attached to the said end, are attached two wedge-shaped or double inclined blocks, N, the lowerinclined sides of which rest upon the inclined uppersidcs of two inclined blocks, 0, attached to the lower part of the side bars of the frame A, so that the cross-bars L will be raised as they are drawn in one direction by turning the screws B forward and will be lowered as they are moved in the other direction by turning the said screws B backward.

Upon the upper inclined sides of the blocks N rest the lower inclined sides of the blocks P, attached to the lower side of the end of the leaf or platform Q, which platform Q is thus always in a horizontal position. With this construction, as the cross-bars L are raised and lowered by operating the screws B the platforms Q will be raised and lowered twice as far as the said cross-bars L.

if desired, the upper inclined blocks, P, can be omitted and the blocks N made with inclined lower sides only. In this case the platforms Q can rest upon the cross-bars L, and will be raised and lowered by and with the said cross-bars; but I prefer the construction first described, as it gives the said platforms a greater and a quicker movement.

To the ends of the platforms Q are attached guide-pins R, which move up and down through vertical grooves S in the inner surfaces of the side bars of theframeAto cause the said platforms Q, to move up and down vertically.

The platforms Q, may be covered with cloth T or other suitable flexible material, which can be extended across the space between the two platforms Q, in which case the part of the cloth between the platforms should be slack, as shown in Fig. 2, to give space for the back of the record-book. \Vilh this construction the platforms can be so adjusted that the exposed pages of the open record-book will be at the same level however the book be opened.

The movement of the levers I is stopped when the platforms Q have reached their highest and lowest points by pins U, attached to the cross-bar H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a book-rest, the combination, with the frame A and the platforms Q, connected together by flexible material, of the swiveled screws B, the cross-bars L, the inclined blocks N O, and the bars G, provided with nuts F at their forward ends and connected at their rear 3. In a bookrest, the combination, with the cross-bars L, blocks M, provided with inclined blocks N, of the bars G, the swiveled screws B, the connecting-rods K, and the levers I, substantially as herein shown and described.

REUBEN W. TERRILL.

Vitn esses:

L. L. ZUMWAL'J, DALLAS CLARK. 

